Fresh off the heels of winning a second consecutive national championship, Texas Softball catcher Reese Atwood signed a professional contract with the Carolina Blaze. Atwood will head from Austin to Durham to compete in the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) season.
Atwood helped lead the Longhorns to the peak in 2025 and 2026 and leaves the program as one of the most decorated catchers in school history. She was the Softball America National Player of the Year (2024), Johnny Bench Award winner for top NCAA DI catcher (2025), and NFCA Catcher of the Year (2025). Most recently, she became the first Rawlings Gold Glove Award for Texas alongside teammate Ashton Maloney.
Read more: Longhorns catcher Reese Atwood is a pitcher’s best friend
She was also extremely impactful at the plate for the Longhorns in her four years. Atwood has a .360 career average and .729 career slugging percentage. As a sophomore, she set five Texas single-season program records: home runs (23), runs batted in (90), total bases (163), slugging percentage (.862) and sacrifice flies (8).
Earlier this year, Atwood became the second college softball player to sign a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal with the AUSL.
The Blaze will open their 2026 season at home at Smith Family Stadium in Durham versus the Portland Cascade on June 9. Tickets are on sale now.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on Instagram @savvyco.